Gearing and gear-covering for agricultural machinery



.. ('No Model.)

GEARING AND GEAR COVERING POP. AGRICULTURAL MAGHINERY.

No. 531,278. Patented Dec-[18, 1894.

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the novel features thereof will be UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES DROMMOND SCI-IOFIELD, 0E DALLAS, TEXAS, AssreNoE TO THE TEXAS IMPLEMENT AND MACHINE COMPANY, OF TEXAS.

GEARING AND GEAR-COVERING FOR AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 531,278, dated December 18,1894.

Application filed October 5, 1 894,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. Y

My invention relates to gearing and gearcovering for agricultural-machinery, and particularly to that .class thereof such as planters, fertilizerdistributers, and the like, wherein the feed-mechanism within the hopper is operated by means of an intermediate shaft geared with the drive-wheel of the ma chine. V

The objects of my invention are to produce an improved bearing for thegroundwheel in which wear will be reduced to a minimum, and the parts readily maintained in proper relative alignment and position, and also to produce an efficient guard for the gearing, whereby cotton and corn-stalks, weeds, grass, and other foreign bodies, are prevented from engaging and clogging the same, and thus impede the free positive operation of the machine. 1

Various other objects and advantages of my invention will hereinafter appear, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a planter, the same being employed for illustration, and embodying my present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the machine through the ground-wheel. Fig. 3 is a detail of the wheel, illustrating the inner face. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the combined guard and bearing. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view in line with the intermediate shaft.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

As briefly indicated, I have elected to illustrate my invention in connection with a Serial No. 525,038. (No model.)

planter, but it will be understood that the same may be employed with equal advantage in connection with other styles or constructions of planters than the one herein illustrated and described, or with machines other than planters, as for instance, fertilizer-distribnters.

In the present instance, 1 designates the hopper-of the planter, which is supported upon the usual opposite side-beams 2, whose rear ends are curved downwardly and provided with covering shovels, the spout 3 depends from the hopper, and in advance of it is the furrow-opening shovel 4.

In the bottom of the hopper and protruding therefrom is the gearing 5, in advance of which is located the usual bearing-yoke 6, that supports the rear end of the intermediate-shaft 7. This shaft is inclined so as to terminate at its lower end adjacent to the hub of the ground-wheel and at its upper end terminates near the hopper, at' which latter point it is provided with the large and small pinions 8 and 9 respectively. The bearingyoke is pivotally supported by the bolt 10, and by this means the large or small gears maybe adjusted to such positions as will cause either of them to mesh with the gear of the feed-mechanism of the planter. To the construction thus far described, however, I do not wish to be understood as laying claim herein. 1

The front ends of the beams 2 are downwardly curved and perforated, as at 11, and through these perforations is passed the transverse bolt 12, the same having a head at one end and a nut at the other.

An annular cup or guard 13, preferably formed of cast metal is provided, the same having a surrounding annular flange 14, from one point of which there radiates a bearingtube 15. To one side of the bearing-tube 15 there is formed in the bottom-wall of the guard a segmental'oif-set 16. The center of the bottom-wall of the guard has formed therein a transverse tubular bearing 17, which extends at each side thereof, and which is shown.

The intermediate-shaft 7 has its lower end passed through the radially disposed bearing-tube 15, and terminates opposite the offset 16, at which point it has affixed thereto by a pin or any other usual manner, a small pinion 18, through the means of which the said intermediate-shaft is rotated. The pinion it will be seen occupies the off-set 16.

The bolt it will be seen not only passes through the perforations in the side-beams but also through the chilled steel central bearing-tube with which the guard is provided, and by tightening the nut on the bolt, the side-beams may be caused to clamp the opposite ends of the aforesaid bearing-tube 17, whereby the guard is held immovablywin.

position.

The ground-wheel 19, is provided at its outer side with a central comically bored hub 20, designed to fit and rotate upon the tubular bearing 17, it being slightly shorter than the latter, and therefore free to rotate between the guard and the opposite side-beam. A disk is produced at the inner side of the ground-wheel surrounding the tubular bore, and said disk is provided with a peripheral flange 21 which fits somewhat loosely over the annular flange 14 of the guard. Cast around the conical bore of the ground-wheel, is asmall pinion 22, the teeth 01: which engage those of the pinion 18, and thus the latter is caused to rotate with the ground-wheel.

WVith the preferable addition of a sheetmetal tubular sleeve 23, arranged over the outer end of the radial bearing 14, this completes the construction of the invention.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that I have produced a complete and efficient guard for the gear-connection usually employed in machines of this class; that I have also produced an improved bearing for the ground-wheel; and by the presence of the invention all movements of the parts may freely take place and any and all clogging by reason of the entanglement therewith of foreign bodies is absolutely avoided.

It will further be seen that the tightening of the screw upon the transverse bolt can in nowise affect the free movementof the groundwheel, in that its hub being slightly shorter than the tubular bearing 15 the latter alone is bound upon.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to the precise details of construction herein shown and described, but maintain that I may vary the same to any extent or degree within the knowledge of the skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit of the invention as explained or sacrificing any of the enumerated advantages.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine of the class described, the same comprising an intermediate-shaft and opposite side-beams, the combination therewith of the cup-like cast-metal guard, having a central transverse tubular bearing and a radial bearing, the latter receiving the lower end of said intermediate-shaft, a pinion on the lower end of the shaft within the guard, a bolt passed through the central transverse tubular bearing of the guard and the opposite side-beams of the machine, and a groundwheel closing against the guard and having a central tubular hub located to revolve upon the tubular bearing of the guard, and a surrounding pinion intermeshing with that of v. th.e intermediate shaft and inclosed by the guard, substantially as specified.

2. In a machine of the class described, the same comprising an intermediate-shaft and opposite side-beams, the combination therewith of the cup-like casting or guard, having a central transverse tubular bearing, at one side of the same an oE-set, and radially in line therewith provided with a tubular hearing, the latter receiving the lower end of the intermediateshaft, a pinion on the. lower end of said shaft and occupying the off-set,a bolt passed through the central transverse tubular bearing of the guard and the opposite side-beams of the machine, and a groundwheel closing against the guard and having a central tubular hub located upon and shorter than the central bearing of the guard, and a surrounding pinion intermeshing with that of the intermediate shaft and inclosed by the guard, substantially as specified.

3. In a machine of the class described, the same comprising an intermediate shaft and opposite side-beams, the combination therewith of the cup-like casting or guard having a central transverse tubular bearing extending at opposite sides thereof, and a radial bearing tube, the latter receiving the intermediate shaft, a pinion on the lower end of said shaft within the guard, a bolt passed thro ugh the central bearing and the opposite side-beams, and the ground-wheel having a tubular hub shorter than and mounted upon the central tubular bearing of the guard, a

that of the intermediate-shaft, and having an annular flange surrounding the pinion and telescoping with the flange of the guard,substantially as specified.

4:- In a machine of the class described, the same comprising an intermediate shaft and opposite side-beams, the combination therewith, of the annular flanged or cup-like casting, the same having a central bored and externally conical bearing-tube, an off-set at one side thereof and a radial tubular bearing in line therewith, a bolt having a nut passed through the central bearing and the ends of the beams a pinion fixedly mounted on the pinion surrounding the hub and meshing with lower end of the intermediate-shaft,agroundtubular bearing of the guard and the interwheel having a central conically bored tubumediate-shaft, substantially as specified. 1o lar hub mounted upon and shorter than the In testimony whereof I affix my signature in central tubular bearing of the guard, an inpresence of two witnesses.

5 etegrally formed pinion surrounding saidhub, JAMES DROMMOND SCHOFIELD.

and an integrally formed annular flange sur- Witnesses: rounding said pinion, and receiving the flange D. W. PARKER,

of the guard, and a sleeve fitting the radial G. ROGERS. 

